What Workers & Learners Can Do
The U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on Addressing Health Worker Burnout acknowledges that changes by employers and the whole of society are needed to prevent burnout and moral distress, but also highlights actions workers can take to improve their own wellbeing and that of their colleagues, including:
- Learn how to recognize the signs of distress and mental health challenges in yourself and colleagues, and learn the ways you can support and protect yourself and others.
- Reach out for help when needed. Identify trusted friends or loved ones when feeling stressed or overwhelmed, and use the resources that may be available to you through your employer or institution, like employee assistance programs or wellness offices.
- Use your voice to advocate for change. Join organizations, professional associations, and other stakeholders seeking to improve health worker well-being and promote health equity and social justice. Learn about unions, vote for leaders who will be champions for worker wellbeing, and participate in advocacy, as appropriate.
Additionally, workers and learners can take steps to be an active part of well-being solutions:
- Be aware of how words can stigmatize mental health and support work toward using language that promotes supportive, safe environments for colleagues, peers, and community members.
- Participate in surveys, townhalls, and other mechanisms for collecting data and sharing your experience of burnout and moral injury.
- Engage in efforts to address burnout and moral injury in your organizations, including assessing and changing organizational policies that may be driving worker and learner experiences.
Resources
For workers directly seeking support
The U.S. Surgeon General’s Report Addressing Health Worker Burnout (p. 55) highlights:
- The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which provides 24/7, free and confidential supports to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress
- SAMHSA resources, including the Behavioral Health Treatment Locator
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides resources for health care professionals including information on when to reach out, peer support resources, confidential and professional support, building resilience, and other wellness resources.
Health and public safety workers and learners can also seek additional training to identify and support peers and colleagues in distress. Examples include:
- Stress First Aid for Health Care Professionals, provided by the American Medical Association (AMA)
- Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a Workplace Mental Health Fact Sheet which outlines symptoms, statistics, and resources related to traumatic events, substance use disorder, and suicide. A Spanish version is also available.
Using your voice
Professional associations provide their constituents with advocacy resources and skill building tools, and advocate for the interests of their members. For example, Nursing Advocacy Beyond the Bedside by Dr. Daniel Eaton provides expert insight on nurses’ role in advocating for themselves and the nursing profession. Examples of associations that provide training, support, and advocacy campaigns include:
- The American Nurses Association
- The American Academy of Pediatrics
- The American Medical Student Association
Unions also play an important role in organizing and elevating worker voices. The U.S. Department of Labor provides information and resources around labor union protections, including the Worker Organizing Resources and Knowledge (WORK) Center which provides a toolkit on workers’ organizing rights and protections against retaliation, as well as union member and labor-management partnership stories. Some prominent healthcare unions in the United States include:
